The Devils Pool

I can honestly say, without a doubt, the most exhilarating moment of my life has been visiting the Devil’s Pool – sitting on the edge of a waterfall with one of the biggest drops in the world.

I only found out about the Devil’s Pool a couple of months before I left for Zimbabwe. It was listed in Lonely Planet’s Africa Guidebook as one of the top activities in Africa. They were not wrong. It was absolutely, 100% the best thing we did in Africa, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

The Devil’s Pool is part of a tour that includes breakfast on Livingstone Island. It is not accessible without doing a tour, as there is quite a bit of travel involved. The Devil’s Pool and Livingstone Island are only accessible from the Zambian side of Victoria Falls – so if you’re staying in Zimbabwe like we did, make sure you purchase a univisa, to allow entry into Zambia.

The tour starts at the Royal Livingstone Hotel, where a small tin boat takes you over to Livingstone Island. From the Island you see a beautiful view of the Zambian side of the Falls. Whilst much smaller than the Zimbabwean side of the Falls, they offer a different perspective and are just as breathtaking. You can stand right on the edge of the cliff face, and take photos into the gorge if you’re game enough, it is a crazy crazy feeling!

We met our guides and lifesavers on the island and got ready for the craziest thing I’ve ever done. What they don’t tell you when booking this tour is that you have to swim across the Falls current. The Devil’s Pool is probably 50 or so metres away from the Island, and you have to swim your way across a number of different currents to get there. It was insane, and I was very thankful that we are both good swimmers! Swimming in the Devil’s Pool is indescribable. You are on the edge of a waterfall. A giant waterfall, that would surely kill you if you fell over the edge. And yet we felt so safe and secure with Felix, our lifesaver. Lying on the edge of the cliff face, and looking down into the Falls was something I will never forget. It was definitely something I never thought I would experience!

You get about 10 minutes in the Devil’s Pool during the tour. One of the things I loved about this tour was the guide and lifesaver. They were such lovely, friendly people! Happy to answer any question, and help if you needed it. The guide took photos on everyone’s personal cameras or phones from angles you could never get yourself! If you scroll through the photos below you will see him standing on the very edge of the waterfall! They were fearless, and by far my favourite tour guides whilst in Africa.

After spending some time at the Devil’s Pool and swimming back to Livingstone Island a beautiful breakfast was provided on the island. Every single detail of the experience was perfect! The food was beautiful, and you can’t get a better breakfast view then the edge of a waterfall! You can find out more information about the Devil’s Pool and Livingstone Island tours here.

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Emma is a travel photographer and blogger, living in Melbourne, Australia with her husband Thom in between adventures. She started Explore Shaw to share her experiences, travel tips and destination advice, and to inspire others to travel the world and their own backyard whenever they can.